After a highly successful competition in 2009, Formula Student (FS) returns in 2010 bigger, more international than ever before with a revised application system to cope with demand, impressive new sponsors, and a new high profile Ambassador.
Formula Student is the annual competition run by the Institution, which allows university students to experience the total cycle of Research, Design, Manufacturing and Development of a complex engineering project. By challenging teams, often as their final year degree project, to build a single-seat race car to our specified rules and compete in various static and dynamic events, it aims to inspire and develop enterprising and innovative young engineers.
Due to an over-subscribed event in 2009, a new registration system was put in place for 2010 that allows all teams to apply for a place and not miss out because of a first-come, first-served allocation of spaces in a matter of minutes.
With over 150 teams applying at the beginning of January, the FS Selection Committee had the difficult task of inviting 100 cars (the maximum capacity) to compete. In order to preserve the nature of the competition, the aim was to engage a range of teams, from the top ranking teams, right through to rookie teams.
After much deliberation, on 22 January, the Committee announced the full list of 119 entrants: 11 Class 1A (low carbon) car entries, 89 Class 1 entries and 19 Class 2 entries. In the most international event ever, there will be competitors from 27 countries, including new teams from the UK, India, Portugal and Canada. For the full list of competitors, please see the online Registration page
Class 1A cars (that allow new and novel powertrain technologies, resulting in race cars with low carbon emissions) have been encouraged as well as those without an FS / FSAE competition in their home country. With 11 Class 1A teams looking to battle it out for the title of top low-carbon race car, with a range of cars from electric to petrol, FS 2010 will be an exciting competition.
Jon Hilton, Formula Student Chairman, said that: “The number of new teams is proof that this continues to be a popular and rewarding competition, and with an increase in low carbon entries I am very much looking forward to seeing how they perform.”
The Formula Student competition has been held at Silverstone Circuit for the past three years, and the Institution can confirm that it will once again take place at the home of British motorsport on 15-18 July 2010.
Each year, the competition relies on the generous support from industry. The Formula Student team is thrilled that Autodesk, E.ON UK, National Instruments and The MathWorks are already confirmed Partners of the competition. Mark Stewart, Human Resources Director and Country Manage from Airbus UK who have sponsored FS for the past two years, commented that: “Through Formula Student (companies) are able to reach out to a large number of students from all corners of the world at the same time.” There are still sponsorship opportunities available, so any companies looking to support the next generation of engineers, capture their imagination or recruit the best graduates, are welcome to contact the team or visit Sponsorship Opportunities for further details. In 2009 alone, FS sponsors benefited from the record-breaking advertising equivalent of over £1 million pounds in international media coverage for the competition.
Formula Student is also pleased to announce the appointment of the Rt Hon Lord Drayson as Ambassador for the competition. The Minister for Science and Innovation attended the 2009 event and showed great interest in the competition. Speaking about Formula Student, he said: “There’s something very special about having to start with a clean sheet of paper and design your own car. It’s about competition and that competition drives innovation.”
Students taking part in the 2010 event will no doubt gain considerable inspiration from FS Patron Ross Brawn, whose Brawn GP team won both the drivers and constructors world titles in the 2009 Formula One season, and who was awarded an OBE in this year’s New Years Honours. Commenting on the competition, Ross said: “Formula Student is a fantastic career opportunity. The competition equips people with a whole range of skills they can carry with them through life. I, for one as its Patron, have been really inspired by the commitment and enthusiasm of these young people. They are the future."
For further information please visit www.formulastudent.com or contact Kate Jones, Project Leader, email: k_jones@imeche.org, telephone: +44 (0)20 7973 1287.